Proverbs 17

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

Than a house full of feasting with strife.

2A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,

And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

But the Lord tests hearts.

4An evildoer listens to wicked lips;

A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;

He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

6Grandchildren are the crown of old men,

And the glory of sons is their fathers.

7Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,

Much less are lying lips to a prince.

8A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

9He who conceals a transgression seeks love,

But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.

10A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding

Than a hundred blows into a fool.

11A rebellious man seeks only evil,

So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

12Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,

Rather than a fool in his folly.

13He who returns evil for good,

Evil will not depart from his house.

14The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.

15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,

Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

16Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,

When he has no sense?

17A friend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

18A man lacking in sense pledges

And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

19He who loves transgression loves strife;

He who raises his door seeks destruction.

20He who has a crooked mind finds no good,

And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

21He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow,

And the father of a fool has no joy.

22A joyful heart is good medicine,

But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom

To pervert the ways of justice.

24Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,

But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25A foolish son is a grief to his father

And bitterness to her who bore him.

26It is also not good to fine the righteous,

Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27He who restrains his words has knowledge,

And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.